[Approved] Jedi Battlemaster Kyla Vondin

How long do you usually write? Several paragraphs

 Do you enjoy writing collaborative posts for things like conversations, combat, etc.?  Yep.

 Is grammar and depth of writing important to you?  Yep.

 Are there any writing subjects you particularly enjoy exploring?  I love darker subjects such as trauma and war.

 Is there anything you really dislike and want to avoid like the plague?  First person writing.

 Is there something you are uncomfortable with happening to your character?  Not really, so long as its run by me.

 Do you have any short-term or long-term goals with this character?  TBA

 Name:  Kyla Vondin

 Species:  Human

 Homeworld:  Ylesia

 Age:  41

 Gender:  Female

 Rank:  Jedi Master (Council)

 Master:  N/A

 Former master(s):  Jedi Master Ello Sobaaks

Detailed appearance. Imagery insufficient.

Kyla stands at above average height, outside of armor standing a few centimeters under six feet tall. She's in top physical condition, possessing an in shape, toned frame. Her skin is tan in shade, eyes a deep brown. Her hair is black and knotted in a ponytail. Scars dot the right side of her face, and another marks above her right eye. Her body, particularly her back in also scarred. Her left and right bicep have healed but once severe burns on them. Healed lacerations from a whip mark her back, though she always keeps these covered. 

Report on natural ability with the Force, as well as all known Force Techniques and the skill level.

Kyla's force powers have been neglected in favor of a focus on lightsaber mastery, she is at an intermediate level with the basic Force powers of a Jedi. She also knows Crucitorn, Force Stun and Revitalize. She made particular use of Crucitorn during her capture by the Sith during the war, and is at an advanced level with the technique. The latter two she is at an intermediate level. While her powers are not as strong as most Jedi masters, she is still not to be underestimated.  

Report on skills not directly rooted in the Force, including level of skill

Kyla is an intimidatingly powerful combatant with her lightsaber. As the Jedi Battlemaster for the Tython Jedi temple she has been recognized for her knowledge of Lightsaber combat and all its forms. She’s extremely formidable when it comes to lightsaber combat.
She has years of battlefield experience, and is a talented commander who inspires respect among soldiers she commands.
In her time at war she also learned much about tactics and battlefield plannings. She’s able to create plans on the fly, and is experienced in establishing traps, ambushes, flanks and other battle tactics.
She has a sharp attention for detail, its difficult to catch her off guard.
She knows how to use a blaster, though is nothing more than an average shot with one.
Kyla has knowledge of a few forms of martial arts which the Order teaches and can put up a fight in unarmed combat.

Report on known combat experience, training and lightsaber training.

Kyla is a Jedi Battlemaster for a reason, she's an exceptionally talented and trained swordsman when it comes to lightsaber combat. She fought in battlefields across the galaxy during the war against the Sith Empire, often times on the frontlines in the midst of the most intense action. Kyla has faced down all sorts of Sith warriors and their soldiers, as well as having gone on missions in which she's encountered bounty hunters, pirates, mercenaries and slavers. She has constantly striven to improve and learn, a proper Jedi never stops trying to improve. She knows all seven lightsaber forms though her skill levels in them varies. 

She has mastered Ataru, Shien/Djem So and Soresu. These being her most used forms in combat. She's at an intermediate level with Shii-Cho, Juyo, Soresu, Makashi and Niman. She's capable of teaching these forms but does not have expert ability with them. She's capable with a lightsaber in each hand but better with just one. Overall she's a truly skilled lightsaber combatant, comfortable and confident in her knowledge of any of the seven forms. Within the Order she is perhaps only second to Grandmaster Shan when it comes to pure ability with a lightsaber. 

Detailed notes on political influence and associates. 

Kyla is a well respected member of the Jedi Order, where she serves on the council. She wields a great deal of influence when it comes the decisions and matters pertaining to the Jedi. On the flip-side, she does not branch out much to extend her influence in many other groups. She doesn't really associate with any politicians within the Republic senate, holding a disinterest in politics and finding many of them to be ultimately self serving. The senate's blaming of the Order for the loss of the war left her with little want to associate with them. She does have several contacts and old acquaintances within the Republic military. Veteran soldiers she fought alongside, a few naval officers, commanders and some others higher up as well. 

Detailed notes on known rivals and enemies, outside and within the Order and Republic.

Kyla has enemies within the Sith Empire, in which she gained infamy due to her exploits during the war, she slayed multiple Sith warriors and apprentices, as well as countless soldiers. She's also a well known Jedi master, which puts a target of its own on her back.

Kutar Zema - A scarred Sith who she fought on Yelsain, who slayed her padawan Yinn before her very eyes. She sliced the Sith's right arm off in her attack on him. He personally tortured her on several occasions during her internment as a Sith POW. If he is alive then he still likely holds a grudge against Kyla.

List and description of other known associates, including intimates.

Jedi padawan San Anin - Kyla has recently taken the teenager as her padawan following the death of San's former master. Kyla sees potential within the girl, but there is still much she must do and overcome before she can become a full fledged Jedi knight.
Sargent Aldarn Laprol - The Republic solder who pulled her from her cell during her internment. He was the first friendly face she had seen in weeks, and the two became close friends afterwards. While they have not spoken in months Kyla still cares about the veteran trooper.

List of all known ownerships, including vessels, (non-standard) equipment, and locations.

When out on mission its typical for her to wear Jedi armor, it resembles what a Republic soldier would wear, albeit more lightweight. Favoring freedom of movement over heavy padding. While in the Temple she wears the signature robes of a Jedi. She is never without her blue bladed lightsaber.. On her utility belt she carries survival rations, comlink, a grappling spike launcher, a holomap, an Jedi breathing mask, a Jedi beacon transceiver, a glowrod, and lightsaber repair tools. 

Kyla has her own personal vessel, a Striker-class starfighter, the Valiant. 

Psychological evaluation of Jedi Order member.

A veteran Jedi who has spent essentially her entire life within the Order, Kyla is as experienced as they come to all matters related to the Jedi way. She's firmly on the light side of the Force, having rejected the dark side her entire life. She believes that anyone who follows the dark side will inevitably fall into a life of despair, self destruction and pain. She's a stern, but thoughtful master to any students of hers. Kyla is patient with those she teaches, but expects to see improvements, when she does not see these she will often give sharp, pointer filled talks. Which border on being harsh when she really has points to  make. She's almost obsessive to the degree in which she trains herself, keeping her mind, body and reflexes as sharp as possible. She's a woman of action, not enjoying sitting around and twirling her thumbs for extended periods of time. Kyle prefers to tackle situations head on, firmly and soundly. 

Kyla has a competitive personality, always trying to come out on top in everything she does. She does not smile as often as she used to, and first impressions of her can unintentionally give off a an unfriendly vibe. Kyla can also be very direct with her words, to a blunt degree. She can be standoffish with those she disagrees with and confrontational to a fierce degree when the situation calls for it. But in general she tries to be a friendly person. In her younger years she had a rebellious kick to her way, pushed around aplenty in her years as a slave. She was an aggressive child, who did whatever it took to survive, often stealing food to survive. That aggression has mellowed in her time in the Order, though she can still show flashes of her old wild child self. 

She has a strong belief in the Jedi Code and way of life, though she has some issues with it, more so the Jedi Council and some of their decisions. While she now finds herself on the council, it comes at a time in which the Order is rebuilding. She's mostly put aside her previous grievances so that the council can sole focus on the Jedi regaining strength. A firm believer in justice, she thinks the Jedi (and the Republic) should concentrate more on bringing down the criminal underworld, such as breaking apart the gangs that infest it, and stopping their crimes which are often ignored. She believes the Republic should extend itself into Hutt Space and abolish the practice of slavery. She has a dislike of the Hutt Cartel particularly, due to being born into slavery under them. It's pathetic that slavery is still in the galaxy as someone who was born into, Kyla believes it should be extinguished by any means necessary. No person is property. 

List and description of known and suspected flaws. To be put into restricted database.

Years on the battlefield fighting the Sith Empire has taken its toll on her mentally, she frequently has flashbacks of traumatic wartime memories. Sometimes she goes through memories of dead friends and soldiers who served under her command. She does not often sleep well at night. This trauma deeply affects her. She’s tried seeking out aide for it, as left unchecked it could tear her apart. Light side meditation and therapy helps, but the pain is still there.
Due to putting a focus on lightsaber combat, her Force abilities are not as strong as other Master level Force users. While her powers are nothing to mock, they pale in comparison to the strength of other’s abilities.
She’s hesitant to develop close connections with others, in fear that they should die and she’d blame herself.
She can be judgmental, which ties in with her strong sense of justice. She’ll often form judgements on people based on their associations or past deeds. It can be hard for her to change these judgements.
From being raised in Hutt Space, and born into slavery, Kyla despises slavery. She holds anyone that deals in slaves to be deplorable. She finds it hard to trust anyone whose sold or bought slaves, even if was past dealings and they no longer participate. She's naturally untrustworthy of Hutts due to their affiliation with the disgusting practice.
Kyla experienced torture at the hands of the Sith in the past, something that's always been a sore memory for her. She has a strong dislike of torture, the mere mention of it around her brings up sour reconciliations of her past.
Kyla has an ends justify the means kind of stance, which is quite unusual amongst the Jedi. It's a philosophy she developed during the war. Her conflicts against the ruthless Sith Empire has taught her that if something gives the advantage to the Republic then she won’t think twice about at least considering it. This philosophy has relaxed post war though, but it is likely to return if another conflict occurs.

Known interests of the force-user.

Kyla has always had a sense of adventure in her ever since she was a small child, she deeply enjoys exploring new places, whether it be scaling mountains, climbing cliff-sides or traversing jungles. She ties this in with her training regime as well, often going for long hikes in nature. She has always had an interest in nature, finding it peaceful, serene and calming to the senses. Preferring it over the chaos of cities. She also enjoys a good game of Holochess. 

Notes on skillset specialization, if applicable.

Kyla is a Jedi Battlemaster, the premier lightsaber combat instructor within the Tython Jedi Temple. It was a title she was granted upon the construction of the Temple, a reflection of her mastery with a lightsaber. She's personally tutored multiple Jedi who were taught in the Temple, and is routinely seeked out by her fellow Jedi for teaching. 

Major achievements on record.
Esteemed veteran of the Great Galactic War, had an important hand in several battles. Faced down and killed multiple Sith warriors and apprentices as well as numerous soldiers.
Achieved the rank of Jedi Master.
Granted the title of Battlemaster, the premier lightsaber combat instructor for the Tython Jedi Temple.

Major failures on record. Confidential.
Lost a padawan (Yinn Viinged) in battle during the war. Its something that still haunts her to this day.
Captured by the Sith during the war, tortured for roughly four months before being rescued by Republic forces.

Personal biography, as detailed by the candidate for use in Jedi archives. Acquired shortly after last achievement of note.

Born  on the tropical world Ylesia in Outer Rim of the galaxy, Kyla's parents were both slaves, as such so was she, being born into it. Her father labored away in the spice mines, while her mother served as a household servant who cleaned the retreats which wealthy tourists frequented on the beautiful world. The family was owned by Nirla the Hutt of clan Besadii, a particularly brutal and cruel slaver. Her early life was particularly rough, in the years before the Jedi found her. As a young child she frequently spent time on the streets, scavenging, scrounging and fighting for any food she could find. Her parents gave her all the love they could give as slaves. Her mother frequently came home with whip marks on her back after she made mistakes in her duties, her father equally beaten as he was worked almost to the death in the spice mines. Neither of them wanted this life for their daughter. 

At the age of seven they made a plan, sneaking out in the middle of the night they stowed away Kyla on one of the visiting vessels to the planet. Her mother had discovered it belonged to a wealthy merchant. Though her parents did not know where it was headed, anywhere but Ylesia was good. Unable to go with her, they bid a quiet farewell and ran back to the slave barracks. Kyla spent the night tucked in the engineering section of the ship, staying as quiet as possible. The next morning she felt the ship rise from the ground and leave the planet, venturing to parts she did not know. On her journey through the stars Kyla tried to remain calm, despite being more terrified than she had ever been. Tears seeped down her face as the ship rocketed through hyperspace, crying silently as it would be the last time she ever saw her family.

As she felt the ship dock, the hungry, weak little girl forced herself to her feet. She wandered out of the sweltering engineering deck, nearly getting lost in the docked vessel. Miraculously she found the exit, stumbling out of the ramp and onto the floor of the docks. Several people ran over to her, finding the famished Kyla clad in dirty rags collapsed on the floor. Too weak to walk. The girl had been transported to the glorious capitol of the Galactic Republic, Coruscant. A Coruscant policeman scooped her up in his arms and brought Kyla to the nearest hospital. It seemed luck had finally been on her side.

Kyla was cared for well by the hospital staff, she would make a full recovery. The merchant whose ship she had stowed away upon was questioned, but had no idea she was even on his ship. After her hospital stay, she was put through refugee processing on Coruscant. The Jedi always monitored this system in case of Force sensitive arrivals to the world, Kyla was picked out and approached by a Jedi Recruiter. Promised a better life than what she had, Kyla was brought to the Jedi Temple on the world. The bustling, loud and chaos of Coruscant was something new to the young girl. Ylesia was by no means a quiet world, but it was certainly not a planet wide city full of constant noise, lights and action. She found it difficult to sleep her first few weeks on this new world. The Jedi helped her, calming the nervous and abused girl. 

A fighter back on her homeworld, where she often had to struggle on the streets, Kyla had to get used to the Jedi way which preached peace, knowledge and rejected aggression. As an initiate she showed innate talent with a lightsaber blade, a major reason why she was apprenticed to the accomplished Jedi Knight Ello Sobaaks. The Mirialan would be her first and only master, a wise but adventurous man, he'd be the main person who shaped Kyla from a scared ex slave girl to an accomplished Jedi. The Great Galactic War had begun the year of Kyla's arrival to Coruscant, and it seemed destiny would one day beckon her to fight in it. Her master was cautious with this, keeping her out of the conflict for the first decade of her tutelage under him. During this time she accompanied him on many missions, often tasked with stopping pirates, raiders and slavers. Combat oriented assignments that would foreshadow the marital type of Jedi she'd grow into. 

As these years rolled along Kyla grew, in skill but also as an individual. The angry, rebellious slave girl was fading away. She found peace within the Force, using her intense thoughts and wretched memories as motivation to move on and become a greater person, a better Jedi. During sparring sessions she practiced endlessly, to the point where her entire body ached yet still she pushed on. Not settling until she had perfected every single move her stern master instructed her to display. Master Sobaaks often took her to beautiful worlds in which she could test herself in nature, allowing herself to find a serenity within it. He'd make her scale mountains, run through tree tops and swim across rivers. Looking back at it she saw it as a way for her master to show her the enthralling sides of the galaxy, before she was brought into war and forever changed. 

At eighteen years of age the duo entered the war. There were no amount of words that Master Sobaaks could tell her which would prepare her for what she was about to go through. Still he tried his best, and they were deployed in the Minos Cluster Campaign. Perhaps the most chaotic and unpredictable sector of the war. Initially the Sith Empire had hold on the sector, and as such Kyla was often deployed in raids on Sith locations across the star system. Facing down the Sith was unlike anything she had ever done. Intensely fierce and brutal in their methods and demeanor, she did not allow herself to feel any fear as she faced their warriors for the first time. Her master had taught her well, and she was already a strong swordsman. Due to this talent she was placed in the heart of battle, where she found herself bonding with many of the Republic soldiers she fought alongside. 

The Republic began to collect more wins than defeats as the years went by, Master Sobaaks ensured that Kyla did not lose herself in the conflict, and would take her on leave to more peaceful parts of the galaxy. She suffered her share of scars, injuries and defeats during the war. A nasty broken left arm from a bad fall left her out of commission for some time. But she did not allow such injuries to hold her back, only using them as motivation to train harder. Her master spoke confidently of her, how much growth she had shown ever since he took the then scared young slave girl under his wing. At the age of twenty two she was elevated to the rank of Jedi Knight following the completion of her Jedi trials. It was the proudest moment of her life.

A week later she launched herself back into the war, this time on her own. She continued to participate in raids and missions across the Minos Cluster, after roughly two years on her own she was brought before the Council and asked to take a padawan of her under her tutelage. A headstrong Nautolan teenaged padawan Yinn Viinged had found himself without a master, having watched his mentor be cut down in battle by a Sith lord. Though nervous, Kyla took the shaken padawan as her apprentice. She echoed her own former master's teaching methods, taking the boy away from the brutalities of war. She counseled the turbulent padawan, doing her best to push him towards growth both as a person and as a Jedi. Yinn had potential within him to become someone great. For three years she took him around the galaxy, occasionally embarking on combat oriented missions, but spacing them with less stress filled adventures. 

Eventually she decided to return to war with Yinn, a decision which she would soon regret. The first two battles they fought in together went well. Yinn showed a talent with a lightsaber, and did not allow his emotions to dictate his actions. Kyla still remembers how the padawan had saved her life on the battlefield, cutting down a trio of heavily armed Sith troopers which had gotten a flank on her. Things were going swimmingly, until an ill fated mission on Yelsain. The duo had been tasked with taking down a Sith war droid factory on the forest world. Located deep in the dense, lush jungles of the oxygen rich world the factory littered the atmosphere with thick smoke. Forced to trek through the forests, backed by three squads of troopers, the Jedi made a beeline for the factory. Thunderstorms echoed above them, brightening the darkened jungles with each spectacular flash of lightning. 

The defenses of the factory were lighter than expected, and after a brief firefight they all found themselves inside the building, planting explosives throughout it. As Kyla freed the workers, local people forced to toil away in brutal conditions she sensed an unnerving presence. The windows seemed to explode as dozens of Sith soldiers stormed the factory, having arrived under the cover of night awaiting the Republic strike force. Flanked by several Sith warriors, they outnumbered the Republic and Jedi three to one. Kyla sprang into action, as Yinn did the same. For a brief time it seemed they would persevere, then Yinn crumbled to the floor as a particularly menacing Sith drove his lightsaber through the young man's ribcage. Kyla screamed in shock, flinging herself at the Sith warrior. It was a rare moment in which she had allowed her emotions to overwhelm her. 

As she swung wildly at the Sith, overwhelming him, she sliced his arm clean off below the elbow. Standing over him with her lightsaber ready to put him down, Kyla began to strike, but stopped herself at the very last second. This recovery to the Jedi way would be her greatest mistake as it allowed another Sith to toss her against the wall, knocking her out cold. She'd awaken a short time later strapped in the cargo hold of a Sith ship, awakening as their prisoner. The very same Sith she had disarmed cockily approached her, and informed her she was going to be processed, made into something greater. She was to be turned into a wretched Sith, they intended to break her and pull her to the dark side. Kyla was placed on a cell on a dark and cold desert world, far from the Republic. She could hear the screams of other unlucky prisoners echo through the hallways as she was brought to her cell. Other Jedi, Republic soldiers, prisoners of war the Sith had taken for their nefarious wants. 

The four months she spent as a Sith prisoner of war was the worst time of her life, even more excruciating than her childhood years as a slave. Kyla was routinely beaten, whipped, burnt and tortured. Physical torture was but one part of it, she was forced to undergo harsh psychological torture as well. The ways of the Jedi were questioned, mocked and dragged through the dirt by the Sith. They did terrible things to her, made her watch as they tortured and mutilated captured Republic soldiers as well as Jedi. Reminded her of all the soldiers under her command she had let die. Kyla never let herself fall, any moment of peace she had she forced herself to meditate on the light side of the Force. Even as her body ached with pain and her emotions raged inside of her. Left in darkness, spit upon and savaged by the brutal Sith she was meant to break, instead it only drove her to persevere. 

As she sat curled on the cold floor of her cell she heard blaster fire echo through the prison, her door slammed upon and she was greeted by the face of a Republic soldier. The soldier cut off her chains, then carried Kyla in his arms out of the cell. She was in a similar state to how she had arrived on Coruscant. Extremely weak and malnourished. Her back was dotted with whip marks, other bruises danced across her body and burns sat on her arms. The Sith had done a number on her. But she had survived without bending or breaking. She was brought back to Coruscant, where her recovery really began. Kyla would return to her former strength, if you asked her she'd state she had grown even stronger having had her commitment to the light truly tested. She had come dangerously close to embracing her anger, fear and want for revenge but stayed true to the Jedi way. 

Kyla elected to stay out of the war as its final years went by. She did not allow herself to take another padawan, Yinn's death still a constant thing on her conscience. She found more guidance in the light side, focusing even more intensely on her skill with the lightsaber. Free to do as she pleased Kyla would drill herself to get better, wanting to be one of greatest swordsman in the order. She'd resume her rigorous training, the scars on her body a motivation of their own. Kyla was not on Coruscant when the temple was sacked, though she had friends who perished in the desperate attack by the Sith. As the war officially ended the Order was left in chaos and confusion. Kyla stepped forward, and was elevated to Jedi master. Finding herself on the council as the Jedi formally relocated to their ancient homeworld of Tython, Kyla realized she had more to do than ever before. 

She was appointed Jedi Battlemaster for the Tython temple. An immense honor, but one that she had truly earned. Thinking back at her beginnings, she cracked a genuine smile at the scared little girl she was when she first stepped foot within the hallowed temple of the Jedi. All the hard work had paid off. As the Tython temple grew, Kyla too grew into her new highly important role. She personally tutored multiple Jedi in the ways of lightsaber combat, as well as assisting to teach younglings in the weapon which would be they would wield for the rest of their lives. More recently shes's taken San Anin as her padawan, promising to teach the girl right. The decision to take on a padawan was one she did not think lightly. Having searched her inner self, Kyla knows that she is finally ready to take another as her apprentice. She has grown since the last time, and it is on her to help the Order grow back to its former glory.
[Approved] Jedi Battlemaster Kyla Vondin

Heat Hey, nice marmot
